Apparatus for separating juice from citrus fruit.



J. TAKAMI NE.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING JUICE FROM CITRUS FRUIT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 16, 1914.

1,166,867. Patnted Jan.4, 1916.

A Win/11111 WITNESSES: 11- INVENTOR,

UNITED STATES PATENT onnrcnsoxrcnr TAxAMmn, or New YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR SEPARATING JUICE FROM CITRUS FRUIT;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 4, 1916.

- Application filed February 16, 1914. Serial No. 819,074.

To allw hom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Joxronr TAxAmnn, a subject of the Emperor of Japan, res1d-.-

ing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Separating Juice from Citrus Fruit, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention is designed for the separating or squeezing of the juice from.

citrus fruit, but more particularly from oranges for the recovery of the juice for use in connection with industrial enterprises; the object of the invention being the pro duction ofv a simple, inexpensive, eflicient and durable means for removing the juice from the fruit without tearing the membranous wall of the meat cells, so that the fruit meat and juice is thoroughly separated from the rind and the cells inclosed therein free of any portion of torn walls, thus placing the removed meat in condition for the immediate pressing forthe extraction therefrom of such of thejuice as may be contained within any of the unbroken meat cells. Ordinarily, the practice resorted to for the recovery of the juice for commercial purposes has been to mechanically remove the outer rind from the fruit, and

then to pare the pith or inner wall skin from the fruit meat, after which the meat is pressed for the extracting therefrom of the juice. However, such manner of re'-' covering the fruit juice not only seriously heads. Fig. 2 is a detail view of one of the extractor or presser heads. Fig. 3 isv a cross sectional view of one of the extractor heads.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the extractor heads.

In thedrawings, the numeral 1 is used to designate a rotatable cross shaft mounted in bearings 2 of a suitable supporting frame 3. In the present case, this shaft is driven from a power shaft .4 by means of a power transmitting belt 5, working over the belt pulleys 6 and 7 mounted respectively on the shafts 1 and 4, power being imparted to the drive shaft 4: from an electric motor or other suitable source of power, not shown.

The rotatable shaft 1 is mounted, in the present case, above the frame bed 8, the ends thereof projecting a slight distance beyond the sides of the frame 3, and to each end of the said shaft 1 there is attached a hollow substantially cone-shaped extractor or presser head'9. Each extractor or presser head comprises an interiorly threaded hub 10 for screwing onto the threaded ends of the cross-shaft 1, and a series of rearwardly extended upwardly curved spaced ribs 11 projecting therefrom, each united to a circular supporting base wall or ring 12. Preferably, the hub, ribs and' supporting wall or ring of each extractor or presser head are formedintegral, but. such is a mere constructive feature, for these elements, if so desired, may be formedsep'arate and assembled in any given manner. The ribs '11 may be' formed radially, spirally or otherwise, butpreference 1s givenv to the employment of spiral ribs, as illustrated, and the pressing face 13 of each of said ribs is beveled or inclined downwardly from the upper rear edge a thereof to the lowerforward edge 6, so

that a smooth surface is presented to the T fruit to be acted on.

In the operation of removing the meat and juice the fruit is cut in half transversely so as to cut through each of the meat containing or inclosing cells. High rotative speed being imparted to the extractor or, I

presser heads 9 through the shaft 1 and its drive mechanism, the direction of rotation being indicated by arrow 0, 'an operator receives a halfsection 14 of an orange in each hand and presses the same firmly against the extractor heads 9, which gradually work into the exposed fruit and forcibly removes the meat and juice from within the fruit cells thereof. Inasmuch as the smooth inclined surfaces or faces of the ribs 11 of the extractor bear onto the meat, the same presses therefrom the fruit juice and removes the fruit meat from Within the fruit retaining cells without tearing or destroying the membranous walls thereof, which -are left within the outer rind of the fruit. The action. of the ribs of the extractor heads 9 is purely a pressing one, the juice and fruit meat as removed from within the rind of. the fruit flowing onto the inclined runways 15, for delivery into suitable receptacles situated to receive the same. linasmuch as the removal from the fruit rind is simply juice and fruitmeat, it is only required to recover the juice to pass. the same through a suitable strainer and then press the remaining meat to recover therefrom all juice contained therein.

By the use of he above descrlbed inven- -t1on only pure uice and fruit meat is removed from the fruit acted on-by the ex-.

tractor heads and as this is accomplished without tearing or injury to the fruit rind, the said rind maybe used for commercial purposes generally.

Owing to the high rotative speed at which the extractor heads are driven, only a second or two is required to thoroughly extract the fruit juice and remove the fruit I at """ tdtheaction of the extractor heads. Such juice. as escapes-during thecuttlng operameat from the cut fruit, consequently a large quantity of fruit may be successfully treatedper day and this at a minimum ex-i pense. To expeditiously handle and prepare the fruit for treatment preference is given to the employment of a saw for the cutting or slicing of the fruit in halves, and for this purpose there ismounted Within the frame of the machine on the shaft 3 a circular saw blade 16. The fruit to be treated may be presented by the operator of the machine to the action of the -saw blade 16 for halving and .these'vered halves then forced against the extractor heads 9, or one personmay at tend to the cutting of the fruit and a second operator present the fruit so out to the extractor heads. However, the saw blade i not essential to the carrying out of the invention, inasmuch as the, fruit may be cut in any suitable manner and delivered mechanically orotherwise to the operator of the machine. 'Stil1," 'to provide against possible lossof the fruit juicewhich escapes during the operation of cutting or halving the fruit, preference is given to the employment of asaw blade mounted with-in the frame of the machine, so that the fruit may be presented at the earliest possible moment memes? tion of the saw blade flows into aim-inclined chute or runway 20 situated withln the frame to receive the same and deliver the fruit juice to the receptacle'for receiving the juice from the runways15.

While I have described and illustrated the preferred embodiment of a successful and operative machine for the described pur- Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is 1. In an apparatus for the purpose described, comprising an extractor head, said head composed of a ring member and a series of longitudinally curved blades 'connected to the ring and extending therefrom, the said blades being connected to each other at their outer ends.

'2. The combination in anapparatus for the described purpose,'of-af-ru1t extractor comprising a substantially cone-shaped head for ed of a series of united circumferentia ly disposed" upwardly ext ded curved spiral ribs, spaced one from t e other, and the bearing face of each being gradually curved from its lower front edge to its upper rear edge. r

3. In an apparatus for the purpose described comprising an'extractor head, said head composed ofa ring member, and a series of longitudinally curved blades connected to the ring and extending therefrom, said blades being connected at their other end and having rounded fruit engaging surfaces.

,4. In an apparatus for the purpose described comprising an extractorhead composed of a hollow annular ring member, series of blades leading from said ring and the terminals of said blades remote from said ring bein connected, the said blades having rounde fruit engaging surfaces. L

5. In an apparatus for the purpose described comprising an extractorhead' composed of an annular r1ng,-a series of blades egnnected to the rin and extending thereom to present a su stantially cone'shaped surface, said blades being curved longitudi-.

lar in cross uit engaging 56. In a deviceof the kind described comnall and substantially "trian section to present rounded surfaces.

prieingan extractor head composed of an 1,1ee,ee7 a annular ring nem'ber' having a, serles of name to this specification in the presence of blades pro ectmg therefrom, said blades two subscribing witnesses.

having rounded fruit engaging surfaces to prevent the tearingof the fruit, and a con- 5 necting means for the free ends of the said blades.

In testimony whereofI have signed my JOKICHI TAKAMINE.

Witnesses: K; V. DUNHAM,

KEIZO WOOYENAKA. 

